grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-rē 

ˈgrō-sə-;

ˈgrōsh-rē 

plural groceries

1

groceries plural : the food and supplies sold by a grocer

—usually singular in British usage

2

: a grocer's store

Examples of grocery in a Sentence

She stopped to pick up some groceries for supper.

Recent Examples on the Web

Protein is the hottest ingredient in grocery aisles! —Sonal Dutt, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

All the while, Upper West Side locals walked their little white dogs and hauled Fairway groceries past the throngs, looking confused. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 3 June 2026

Why are shoppers reading grocery labels more carefully? —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026

As of Wednesday morning, the grocery area remained closed. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocerye, grosery "merchandise sold by wholesalers, the Grocers' Company of London," borrowed from Anglo-French grocerie, groserie, from groser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc." + -ie -y entry 2 — more at grocer

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grocery

• do (one's) grocery shopping
• go grocery shopping
• grocery bag
• grocery cart
• grocery list
• grocery store

Video

How Do You Pronounce 'Groceries'?

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Kids Definition

grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-(ə-)rē 

plural groceries

1

plural : food sold by a grocer

went out to buy the groceries

2

: a grocer's store